The first conceptions of the Playstation console date back to 1988. Nintendo had been attempting to work with disk technology since the Famicom, but the medium had problems. Its rewritable magnetic nature could be easily erased (thus leading to a lack of durability), and the disks were a piracy danger. Thus, when word came out of a new optical storage technology being developed by Sony and Philips, Nintendo was interested. Nintendo approached Sony to develop a CD-ROM add-on, tentatively titled the "SNES-CD". A contract was struck, and work began.

In 1991, the SNES-CD (now titled the Play Station) was to be announced at the June CES. However, when Hiroshi Yamauchi read the original 1988 contract between Sony and Nintendo and learned that it allowed Sony 25% of the profits from the machine, he was furious. He deemed the contract totally unacceptable, and secretly cancelled all plans for a joint Nintendo-Sony SNES CD attachment.

read more...

Indeed, instead of announcing their partnership, at 9AM the day of the CES, Nintendo chairman Howard Lincoln stepped onto the stage and revealed that they were now allied with Philips, and were planning on abandoning all the previous work Nintendo and Sony had accomplished. Lincoln and Minoru Arakawa had (unbeknownst to Sony) flown to Philips headquarters in Europe and formed an alliance of a decidedly different nature- one that would give Nintendo total control over its licenses on Philips machines.

The 9am CES announcement was a huge shock. Not only was it a complete surprise to the showgoers (Sony had only just the previous night been optimistically showing off the joint project), but it was seen by many in the Japanese community as a massive betrayal- a Japanese company snubbing another Japan-based company in favour of a European one was considered unthinkable in Japanese business.

Initially, Nintendo's abandonment of the joint project caused Sony to consider halting their research, but ultimately the company decided to use what they had developed so far and make it into a complete, stand alone console. This led to Nintendo filing a lawsuit claiming breach of contract and attempted, in U.S. federal court, to obtain an injunction against the release of the PlayStation, on the grounds that Nintendo owned the name. The federal judge presiding over the case denied the injunction. Thus, in October 1991, the first incarnation of the new Sony Playstation was revealed. As for the deal between Philips and Nintendo, it fell through as well. However, because of the deal, Philips was able to create games for its CD-i computer based on Nintendo licenses. The games were terrible, and seen as another attempt by Philips to market the ill-fated computer.

The PlayStation was officially launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, the USA on September 9, 1995 and Europe on September 29, 1995. In America, Sony enjoyed a very successful launch with titles of almost every genre including Toshinden, Twisted Metal, Warhawk, Philosoma, Wipeout and Ridge Racer. Almost all of Sony's and Namco's launch titles went on to produce numerous sequels.

The PlayStation was also able to generate interest with a unique slew of ad campaigns. Many of the ads released at the time of launch were full of ambiguous content which had many gamers rabidly debating their meanings. The most well-known launch ads include the "Enos Lives" campaign, and the "You Are Not E" ads (the "E" in "You Are Not E" was always coloured in red, to symbolize the word "ready", and the "Enos" meant "ready Ninth Of September", the U.S. launch date). It is believed that these ads were an attempt to play off the gaming public's suspicion towards Sony as an unknown, untested quantity in the video game market.

The first new version was actually a revision in early 1996, produced in response to complaints that PlayStations were overheating. Sony did not change the technical aspects or the cosmetics but did remove the RCA ports left over from the Japanese release. The parallel port (which was mostly unused by Sony) was also removed to reduce production costs. Sony also slightly improved the laser assembly. Many gamers experienced skipping full-motion video or dreaded physical "ticking" noises coming from their PlayStations. The seemingly universal fix for this was to turn one's PlayStation sideways or upside-down—although some gamers smacked the lid of the PlayStation to make a game load or work. This problem was carried over to many first-generation PlayStation 2s in the form of the very well known Disc Read Error message.

Sony produced a redesigned version of the original console, called the PSone, in a smaller (and more ergonomic) case which was introduced in September 2000. The original PlayStation was abbreviated in Japan to "PS" and was often abbreviated as "PSX" by American gamers, as this was Sony's internal code name for the system while it was under development (PlayStation Xperimental). This led to some confusion in 2003, when Sony introduced a PS2-derived system in Japan actually called the PSX. The PlayStation is now officially abbreviated as the "PS1" or "PSone," although many people still abbreviate it "PS" or "PSX". There were only 2 differences between the "PSone" and the original, the first one being cosmetic change to the console, and the second one was the home menu's Graphical User Interface.

A version of the PlayStation called the Net Yaroze was also produced. It was more expensive than the original PlayStation, coloured black instead of the usual gray, and most importantly, came with tools and instructions that allowed a user to be able to program PlayStation games and applications without the need for a full developer suite, which cost many times the amount of a PlayStation and was only available to approved video game developers. Naturally, the Net Yaroze lacked many of the features the full developer suite provided. Programmers were also limited by the 2MB of total game space that Net Yaroze allowed. That means, your whole game had to be crammed into the 2MB of system RAM. You couldn't officially make actual game discs. The amount of space may seem small, but games like Ridge Racer, ran entirely from the system RAM (except for the streamed music tracks of course). It was unique in that it was the only officially retailed Sony PlayStation with no regional lockout; it would play games from any territory.

Another version that was coloured blue (as opposed to regular console units that were grey in colour) was available to game developers and select press. Later versions of this were coloured green. Contrary to popular belief, the RAM was not 4 megabytes but instead the standard 2 megabytes. The console included a CD-ROM emulator board connected to a PC. It was also able to run in-development games which lacked region coding (which would be rejected by a normal PlayStation as though they were pirated copies). A few of these units eventually appeared for sale through somewhat dubious channels at high prices.

The installation of a modchip allows the PlayStation's capabilities to be expanded. This allows unauthorized copies of games to be played, but it also allows the playing of games from other regions, such as PAL titles on a NTSC console. Since modchips allow playing games recorded on a regular CD-ROM, it created a wave of games developed without official Sony approval, using free GNU compiler tools.

The console was extremely popular, spawning the so-called "PlayStation Generation". Well known titles on the PlayStation include Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy 7, Resident Evil, Tekken, Wipeout, Gran Turismo, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Parasite Eve, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear Solid. As of May 18, 2004, Sony has shipped 100 million PlayStation and PSone consoles throughout the world. As of March 2004, there were 7,300 software titles available with cumulative software shipment of 949 million. The PlayStation logo was designed by Manabu Sakamoto, who also designed the logo for Sony's VAIO computer products.

Buy Sony Playstation For Sale at Console Passion

Ginger is a chicken on a mission. She bravely leads the flock in a number of wild and wacky escape attempts from the barbed wire confines of Tweedy's farm. To do this she enlists the help of Rocky, a smooth-talking American rooster and the cheeky, cockney rodents Nick and Fetcher. Will they make it to freedom before they end up as pies! Their fate...

Feel the adrenaline rush of flying down a mountain at breakneck speed in Chill - the latest extreme sport from Eidos. Chill recreates the speed and freedom of extreme snowboarding like no other game. Start on gentle slopes or jump straight into more difficult hidden runs on the quest to become King of the Mountain. Perform tricks like the triple...

Take to the streets in the toughest soccer tournament on Playstation. Choose from 20 different international teals and compete against the computer, or your friends, in a host of different game options. Exhibition, League, Cup Tournament, Time Attack and Arcade modes are available for up to 8 players to enjoy on any one of the game’s unique...

As Sir Gawain, a heroic knight of the Round Table, you must be quick to uncover the plot of the wicked sorceress Morgana. Defeat her before she drives Camelot from peace and prosperity to ruin! Over 100 breathtaking locations to explore. Amazing animated 3D rendered characters. Unsurpassed replication of the King Arthur era. Challenging...

Twenty years after the events in Chrono Trigger, a new set of adventurers are preparing for a battle that will surpass even space and time. The long awaited sequel to one of history's favourite adventures. A multitude of playable characters and intertwining game scenarios. Unique design eliminates random battles and experience points. A new...

Prepare yourself for the fastest, most stomach churning racing game ever! Circuit Breakers is like no other racing game on earth! Up to four players can battle head to head on over 30 roller coaster race tracks in a choice of eight spectacular 3D Worlds. NO dull 'corridor' racing. Each track features hair-raising banked corners. Heart-in...

The City's children are disappearing one by one and no one knows why or where they've gone. Rely on your street smarts to solve the mystery. and discover where in this eerie labyrinth of back alleys and foreboding warehouses the plot will take another wickedly clever twist! Seventeen characters brought to life in fully motion-captured animations...

Civilization 2 conquers the PlayStation game console. Become a part of the Civilization phenomenon. Make every critical social, economic and political decision as you build an empire to span history. Compete against some of the greatest leaders of all time. It's discovery. It's discovery. It's diplomacy. It's your destiny. So...

Time for a puzzle game with a difference! Line up the falling stone blocks to entomb treasure and claim it for yourself! Play through the tricky Mystery mode or simply pit your wits against a host of one off puzzles in the challenging versus or Time Attack mode. With colourful graphics that bring ancient Egypt on to your screen, Cleopatra Fortune...

European rally racing. It'll turn you inside out and suck every ounce of adrenaline you have. It's totally unforgiving. But you'll love every second of it! Ice, snow, gravel, tarmac and mud. If you can't handle it.go home! Round the world racing. Eight countries. Forty-eight grinding international courses. Eleven precisely...

Drive the worlds best rally cars past and present from Ford Focus to Mitsubishi Lancer to Mini Cooper. Over 90 new international rally tracks and three new countries - Kenya, Finland and Italy. New Arcade Rally Mode - six car racing and multiple split screen two player options. 2 - 4 players alternate play in Championship mode - the ultimate...

Drive the worlds best rally cars past and present from Ford Focus to Mitsubishi Lancer to Mini Cooper. Over 90 new international rally tracks and three new countries - Kenya, Finland and Italy. New Arcade Rally Mode - six car racing and multiple split screen two player options. 2 - 4 players alternate play in Championship mode - the ultimate...

The fight for mankind as begun. The Vengeance Wars are raging at the far reaches of the galaxy, as you embark on the most dangerous adventure yet. A personal struggle - are greater than Navy versus League. A battle that will decide the fate of Mankind itself. Up close dogfight action with 50 selectable, free form space and planet based missions....

Crushed by the League of Free Worlds a century ago, your defeated people cry out for retribution. As a loyal Navy pilot, engage in dizzying space battles and brutal dogfights, facing mission after punishing mission in an all-out campaign for vengeance at any cost.

The PC game of the year continues its quest for World Domination on the Playstation. Build and better your bases, unite or divide your forces. Develop and utilise guerrilla tactics and a wealth of potent electronic hardware in your attempt to crush the opposition. Every action can so easily trigger a fast and violent reaction. Every real time...

Command & Conquer Red Alert gives you the opportunity to be more devious, cunning and ruthless than ever before. Easy to play and addictive fun, Red Alert puts the fate of the world in your hands! Take your fight over land, sea and air with MiGs, spies, destroyers, submarines and more. Choose your weapons. Defend your base with Tesla Coils, AA...

The rumours of new Red Alert missions are true! Intelligence sources confirm that Retaliation delivers clandestine activity, forbidden weapons and disavowed tactics in a no-holds-barred battle for supremacy. Now, you must decide the ultimate fate of the conflict between the Allies and Soviets.

The simulation with street smarts. Constructor is the most challenging and complex life simulation on the planet. With detailed graphics, fully-rendered animations, video-conferencing with the city's odd cast of characters and state-of-the-art financial and population models…Constructor is the simulation with street smarts. It's...

Facebook Log on

Just In!

The Original Sony Playstation Dual Shock Controller. This is an official replacement for the controller that comes packaged with later versions of the Sony Playstation 1 (PS1) console. This is a black coloured controller, rather than cream. This...